WHAT'S ON HOTEL CHEVAL'S COLLECTIVE MIND...

As the year closes, and a new one opens, many people like to celebrate with a bottle of Champagne. But a new wave of small batch producers has Eric Asimov from the New York Times believing that you may be reaching for a different bottle this year.

"Shopping for wine often requires plunging into the unknown. That is especially true this year for Champagne, because a new wave of small grower-producers on the shelves can mystify even the seasoned wine lover: Éric Rodez, Guillaume Sergent, Suenen, Bourgeois-Diaz, for a start. Who are these guys?" - ERIC ASIMOV